


The Auction

by daire



Category: Highlander - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-03-21
Updated: 2001-03-21
Packaged: 2018-12-18 05:46:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11867964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daire/pseuds/daire
Summary: Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived atDaire's Fanfic Refuge. Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onDaire's Fanfic Refuge's collection profile.





	The Auction

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Daire's Fanfic Refuge](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Daire%27s_Fanfic_Refuge). Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Daire's Fanfic Refuge's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/dairesfanficrefuge/profile).

The Auction by Daire

_The Auction_

By Daire 

This was in response to a Mid-Week Challenge on the HL Holyground Forum to write a scene that shows a major fund-raiser/income for the Watchers Organization. 

* * *

_You had to join the Watchers, didn't you?_ he thought to himself. 

His turn was coming up. They were half way through the program, and they had already raised a substantial amount of money for the Watchers. Of course, the attendees didn't know that. The Organization worked under the pretense that the funds were going to some unknown orphanage in Thailand, where they'd never know how their money was spent. 

The women's part was done, now it was the men's. There was an intermission, and people were milling around the banquet room admiring other people's purchases. Meanwhile, they all hung around in the back room, waiting their turns. 

He heard the emcee step up to the podium, his uneven steps coming to a rest. Joe Dawson tapped the microphone lightly to test it and get everyone's attention. 

'Okay, ladies, it's your turn to help out. Our next item....' He glanced towards the dais, expecting to see the next man come out at the prompt, but no one was there. '... _Our next item_...' Joe stressed, prodding an appearance, then trailed on, trying to sell the item to the crowd. 

'We'll start the bidding at .... two thousand.' 

He shot a slight glare at the grey-haired Watcher. What a paltry amount. Surely, the bids would go higher. If not, they'd probably turn to selling off the personal items of individual Watchers. 

Looking around the room, the women seemed struck dumb, finally finding their wits and began a bidding frenzy. 

'Five thousand, do I hear fifty-one hundred?' 

The bidding continued, while he kept wondering how he'd gotten dragged into this. Oh, right, his Watcher contract .... '....all Watchers must participate in any fundraiser to augment Organization funds at any time, at Organization's discretion....' 

The amount had already reached fifteen thousand, and was still climbing. He just wanted it to end; he'd never done anything so embarrassing in his _entire_ life. 

In the end, a woman stood up and called out 'Fifty thousand!' Every person in the room fell mute and stared at the woman. 

'Do I hear fifty-one?' Joe said when he finally found his voice. No one answered. Giving it a few more seconds, but still nary another bid, he hit the gavel on the podium. 'Sold to the beautiful woman in the green dress. What's your name, Miss?' 

'Maria Valdez,' she called as she started to make her way to the payment table. 

'Well, Ms. Valdez, come on up and claim your item.' 

Joe motioned to the man on the stage to come down. He came, albeit reluctantly, to meet his buyer. The woman who would have him as her date for an entire evening. 

As he passed the podium, he couldn't help not to make a comment. 'Two thousand, Joe? That's only forty cents a year!' 

3/21/01 

* * *

© 2001   
Please send comments to the author! 

03/28/2001 

* * *


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